Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to rise to speak about the extraordinary contribution made by volunteers in Bradfield in so many different organisations, including: the Ku-ring-gai Art Society, which recently held its annual art awards exhibition; the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society, which has done extraordinary work to acknowledge and document the impact of World War I on our local community; Studio ARTES in Hornsby, which does such a wonderful job serving both young adults and adults with intellectual disabilities; the Ku-ring-gai Youth Development Service, or KYDS, which provides counselling services for young people with mental health issues; all of the local service organisations—Rotary, Lions and so many others—the local scouts and guides; our local sporting organisations; and our clubs—of which there are too many to name them all—including Ku-ring-gai Netball Association, the Ku-ring-gai Amateur Swimming Club and the Northern Suburbs Football Association.

In short, Bradfield is very fortunate to have such a strong and rich tradition of volunteering and such an active level of volunteering in so many fields that continues today. Recently, this was acknowledged with DoSomething Day, a collaborative effort between the NewsLocal papers, ClubsNSW and the charity DoSomething, which is designed to shine a light on local community volunteer activities. I was pleased to be able to join Ku-ring-gai Meals on Wheels in a delivery run in the St Ives and Turramurra areas. It was a chance for me to see the work of the volunteers in this fine organisation. With Judy Hales, I visited a number of homes in St Ives and Turramurra. We had the chance to speak to Mr Neville Witten and Mr and Mrs McKee, and I could see for myself, firsthand, the importance of a friendly conversation and the checking-in on how people are doing—as well, of course, as the tangible and valuable physical service of a hot meal.

Meals on Wheels is a wonderful volunteer association that provides three outcomes for the health and wellbeing of the community: a meal of course—nutrition is so important for elderly people in particular, or those who may be unwell, who may struggle to adequately feed themselves on a regular basis; a general check on the safety and wellbeing of the Meals on Wheels clients, some of whom may be isolated, lonely or have health issues; and promoting a greater sense of social cohesion, including the benefits that volunteers experience through feeling, quite rightly, that they are performing a valuable service for their community. Meals on Wheels is a wonderful organisation and one of the many wonderful volunteer organisations that serve the community in Bradfield. I congratulate all of the volunteers.